I quickly untied the small woven basket made of steel vines tied at my right hip and dropped it onto the ground.

  “Let’s get out of the forest!”

  Dragons and water wolves can generate fire, water, and other elements to attack. Creatures with such abilities that threaten humans are called monsters in this world.

  The incense used for warding off evil spirits serves to repel these monsters. However, the Mayokegusa incense I was currently using only keeps smaller monsters away; ironically, rger monsters are actually attracted to its scent. Since rge monsters rarely appear in this region, Mayokegusa is commonly used in everyday life. Carrying it constantly is almost like announcing one’s location to monsters, but leaving some of the still-potent incense behind might distract the dragon’s attention, even if only slightly.

  As I made the children walk at a pace quick enough to break into a run at any moment, I touched the sword hanging at my left hip. I unfastened the thin belt securing the handle to the scabbard, preparing for the worst—but honestly, if a dragon showed up, there would be no way to handle it.

  “Hey, is a scary monster coming?” Liliana murmured, her face tense. Leonardo, who held her small hand, looked pale.

  “It’s a dragon… Even the Abareooshi aren’t afraid, but the princess dragon fled. That means there’s a dragon.”

  “No way, Sumire! Are we going to die?”

  “We’ll reach the town soon. There are lookouts nearby, so they might not notice us.”

  “Hey, Fical, if it comes, can you take it down?!”

  Mars, who had skillfully taken the princess dragon’s hand, cried out desperately. Fical, following at an easy pace with long strides, tilted his head thoughtfully.

  Of course.

  Fical registered with the adventurer guild after arriving in this town, just like me. Humans cannot register twice, so I checked the registry under his name, blood type, and palm prints—nothing matched. He had earned his rank a step ahead of me, and three months ago, after increasingly joining distant subjugation missions, he had reached four stars. Typically, adventurers aiming for five stars or more progress one star per year through training and experience.

  Flying dragons are those cssified as Ryu or rger, and taking one down requires at least three six-star adventurers.

  No matter how strong and athletic Fical is, this burden is overwhelming—especially with the four of us and a heavy load.

  “Sumire! Are the kids okay?!”

  “Rud-san!!”

  A rge young man came running to join us as we hurried to exit the forest. Rud, slightly shorter but muscur, was a five-star adventurer. Sweat gleamed at his dark blue hairline. His trusted bow was already in hand, and his sword was ready at his side.

  “I heard the roar from the sky. I sent Luna, who’s fast, with a whistle to call for backup, but… it’s close.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Even a weak Tobikami dragon can smash these trees if it goes all out. The grassnd is safer and closer than the town.”

  Following Rud’s lead, we adjusted our course slightly to the right. The dragon’s growls still echoed as I encouraged the crying Liliana and Leonardo while running. Mars clenched his teeth and ran silently.

  Grassnds are open clearings made within the forest where hunters process prey or check their position by the sky. One such grassnd was where we had nearly colpsed the first time.

  Rud reached the circur grassnd first and scanned the sky, then quickly surveyed the surroundings. He spotted a particurly rge and thick tree growing near the clearing. Its massive roots spread on the opposite side of the grassnd, where he crouched the children and the princess dragon. I helped, cutting thick branches from bushes to cover the children. Hiding under strongly scented branches is a basic method of concealing oneself from monsters.

  When I raised my face to take the branch Fical handed me, the grassnd darkened for an instant. Rud’s face tensed further, and he whispered.

  “We’ve been spotted. Kids, stay hidden. Don’t make a sound or move. Even if it’s quiet, don’t come out. Stay put until the adults come. Got it?”

  “I’m scared… Sumire, are you coming too?”

  “Be quiet. Pretend to be the princess dragon. No noise.”

  With the children well concealed under branches, Rud pointed at me and told me to hide on the opposite side of the clearing. I nodded firmly. He patted my shoulder reassuringly and then spoke to Fical.

  “Fical, can you be the bait? I’ll aim from behind.”

  Fical nodded once but tilted his head slightly, as if asking which side he meant.

  Dragons are too fast for humans to win in a head-on fight. The strategy is to distract them with bait or traps, then attack from behind.

  As Fical revealed himself on the grassnd, Rud and I slipped between trees, circling toward the opposite side. If the children’s position was at twelve o’clock, we moved toward four o’clock. Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and a massive dragon charged toward the clearing. Rud pushed me behind a rge tree and swiftly nocked an arrow.

  The dragon was about six meters in radius, filling half the clearing. It roared in frustration after missing a bite on Fical. The scales near its tail darkened to a deep red, glistening brightly.

  “GYAOOO!!”

  It’s really angry…

  That’s a decent-sized Ryu-css dragon...

  It was busy flying to stomp on Fical and trying to bite him, clearly making it difficult to shoot arrows. Still, Fical dodged smoothly without changing his expression.

  Peeking anxiously from behind a tree, I saw Rud move. His arrow sang through the air aiming for the spread wings, but the quick-turning dragon snapped it in its mouth. Their eyes met, and Rud clicked his tongue and drew his sword. The dragon roared, “GYAO!” and redirected its attention toward Fical again. Its tail sliced through the air with a sharp sound.

  “What the hell? …Wait.”

  Rud muttered suspiciously and fired another arrow. It aimed at the dragon’s feet, but the creature lightly jumped over it and ignored the shot. Confirming this, Rud stood and walked boldly into the clearing.

  “Rud-san, that’s dangerous!”

  “Sumire, rex. That dragon isn’t attacking us.”

  Except it’s very aggressive toward Fical.

  Before I could argue, Rud kept walking. I hesitated, but decided to follow, worrying that Fical might get overwhelmed.

  “Fical, calm it down.”

  “Huh? Fical can do that?”

  Fical nodded and struck the dragon’s side, which had been crouched and ready to bite.

  The dragon, Rud, and I were all stunned.

  “...GYAOO!!”

  After a moment, the dragon regained composure and kicked its opponent on the other side without difficulty, colpsing awkwardly and becoming docile—shaking, almost trembling, with eyes that looked teary.

  “Fical… you captured the dragon?”

  Rud’s voice was half in disbelief. Fical nodded casually. Rud’s fist shook as he shouted at him, “You idiot!!”—his voice as loud as the dragon’s roar.

  “No wonder it only targets you... You didn’t report this to the guild, and you’re not registered, right? And you haven’t even named it. That’s why it’s angry.”

  Rud sighed heavily as if in pain, then expined clearly for me.

  Flying Ryu-css dragons can be tamed and ridden like horses if you have the strength and luck. But as dragons grow stronger and smarter, their pride increases. Still, they respect those who defeated them and voluntarily join their companions. At that point, the human must name the dragon to acknowledge it as part of the group. Without naming, the dragon feels unrecognized and becomes furious. Smart creatures.

  I nodded as Rud expined. Fical quietly nodded too.

  “...You didn’t know? They teach that in the lecture when you get five stars.”

  Fical pced a foot on the dragon’s head to stop it moving, took out his guild card from under his clothes. The translucent card bore his name, the guild’s emblem, and stars scattered like a consteltion. More stars appear as you rise in rank.

  Looking at the card with Rud, I saw it still showed four stars under the consteltion “Kogataru-ryu.”

  “...So until you name the dragon, it’ll keep rampaging endlessly. What did you do?”

  “I hit it.”

  A straightforward answer.

  “...Four stars, alone, knowing nothing, and beating a dragon… more than me.”

  “Rud-san, calm down.”

  Rud muttered, trembling, and I tried to soothe him. After a long breath, he patted his shoulder firmly.

  “Take the promotion exam. And for now, name this dragon.”

  “GYAOO.”

  The dragon, still underfoot, growled as if agreeing. Fical looked down at it, then at me, and thought for a moment before muttering quietly.

  “Su.”

  “GYAO.”

  “Didn’t you just make that up from my name?”

  I wasn’t quite convinced by the satisfied looks of Fical and the dragon now named Su.

  Rud comforted me once more, and thus the rampaging dragon incident came to a close.

  Following Fical and Su, the children who didn’t fully understand the situation burst out crying the moment they left the tree’s roots. Even after expining it was safe, their tears didn’t stop suddenly. Rud looked baffled by how naturally the princess dragon fit in with the three kids.

  Watching them cling tightly and cry, I felt relieved—and a simmering anger rekindled inside me.

  “Fical.”

  I beckoned sharply. Fical approached with an uncharacteristically pleased, expressionless face. When I beckoned again, he crouched closer. I grabbed both his cheeks and pulled hard, harder than this morning.

  “You scared the kids so much...! You should have told them beforehand!”

  “Fuh-hai.”

  “I thought I was going to die!!”

  “Ho-hen, hai.”

  After scolding him harshly, it became clear ter that Su had decided I was weaker than Fical. While I was testing Fical’s cheek tolerance, Mars suddenly cried out.

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